UP-STREAM 93 



of inhabitants, for there has yet been no Prometheus in 

 the lower creation. Thirty miles or so further on the 

 river seemed to close in till a heavy belt of sudd barred 

 our way. Beyond it the waterway tailed off into 

 nothing. The left bank was high and dry, and on it 

 grew a lot of so-called elephant-puzzle trees. These 

 trees are like india-rubber : cutting is the only way to 

 secure a branch, as bending or pulling is unavailing. 

 Two courses were open to us. To try to ram past 

 the barrier by the right bank, which was overflowed, 

 or to cut through it. For several reasons I decided 

 on the latter. It took us more than ten hours of the 

 hardest work. As the river promised so badly in 

 front, I had the launch practically carried over to 

 clear water up-stream, and started off to see whether 

 further advance was possible. With me were five 

 men, including a gunner to work the Maxim gun, 

 which I had transferred to the prow of the launch 

 (the holes by which it was clamped to the deck may 

 have puzzled the present owner of the Atbara), for the 

 natives were evidently frightened, which is just as bad 

 with such as being hostile. 



We did not take long to get into a still better reach 

 of river than had been our lot since the fishing village 

 was passed. We had gone about six miles when in 

 the dusk my lynx-eyed escort discovered some natives 

 along the bank, from which we were separated by a 

 broad belt of thin sudd. With my glasses I soon 

 made out a lot of savages waving their spears and 

 showing the palm of their hands at us as they crouched 

 in the shadow of overhanging branches on the bank. 



